The invention relates to a round baler.
With generic round balers having a wrapping device connected downstream the transfer of the round bale from the pressing chamber of the round baler to the wrapping table of the wrapping device, more preferably on uneven terrain, more preferably when travelling down a slope, constitutes a critical problem since more preferably safe bale transfer from the bale pressing chamber to the wrapping device cannot be guaranteed and the economy of the round baler is therefore dependent on this.
From DE 197 31 520 A1 an embodiment of bale transfer has become known wherein the bale ejected from the pressing chamber is directly accepted by the wrapping table which was previously moved into a position below the ejection opening of the round baler. Following this, the wrapping table with bale located thereon is moved into the wrapping position. The disadvantage in this embodiment on the one hand is the insufficient guidance, more preferably also the lateral guidance and securing of the bale during the transfer and the moving of the wrapping table into its wrapping position.
A further embodiment is known from EP 0 983 720 A1. Proposed is a catching device which is arranged between the round baler and the wrapping device in form of a rotatable catching fork. The catching fork provided with lateral guides is rotatably mounted about an axis located near the wrapping device on the basic frame of the wrapping device. Following the opening of the flap of the round baler, the bale is taken up by the catching fork and transferred to the wrapping table. After this, the catching fork immediately swivels into its starting position. More preferably when travelling on slopes there is thus the continued risk that the bale, upon swivelling of the catching fork into its starting position, rolls back from the wrapping table.
Furthermore, a bale-wrapper combination having two activity regions is known from EP 1 726 204 A1, wherein the transfer means perform an active transport function in the first activity region and in the second activity region act through gravity and perform a restraining function that can be adapted to various bales diameters. The disadvantage of this embodiment however is that upon the swivelling of the wrapping table into its starting position the swivelling of the transfer means into its basic position is activated and thus more preferably when travelling on steep slopes, rolling back of the bale from the wrapping table is not completely excluded.